Buying displays

Rohm and Haas has acquired Gracel Display, a developer and manufacturer of Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) materials. The transaction, worth approximately $40m, gives Rohm and Haas controlling interest in South Korea-based Gracel.

Rohm and Haas’ display chemicals group already manufactures TFT (thin film transistor) photoresists and related materials and added optical display films to its portfolio when it acquired Eastman Kodak’s light management films business in June 2007.

The company also launched SKC Haas Display Films in December 2007, a new joint venture that develops and manufactures advanced films and filters for LCD and plasma displays.

Including the acquisition of Gracel, Rohm and Haas has invested $270m during the last 12 months to build up its display technologies business.

OLED technology consumes a fraction of the power of traditional display technologies (an important consideration in portable devices), and offers higher brightness and contrast, as well as wider viewing angles.